RA Re A ROLE TE OG ETE ASE TES REST TIS ES TIL IED ELL SL ES TE IE CADET IO 
oe Wo oreo emma femme fH cemmems Hi omoane ff H common ff fj een fH cma bj cameras HY Bf xeon ff mare f Hmmemnee fff Came ff f semen 3] hj eaemenc fff oe Pf arenes jt fase ‘ 


The 


ie <— ee — 


WAKE COUNTY 
Association for the Betterment — 


OF 


+ 
4 


aorta 


; Public Schools and Communities 


y 


pkcnet = ameee 
meen a 


¥ ri pe en ee : 
Te es . 


es 


Oh eee = er ; 
een Ae eee, 
epee em 


eee ee ee 
2S er ae: 


| RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 


i. 1922 


‘ “4 a 


; ‘ on here Hike Hitec fl meen Bie Hi omer ff ff eran Pi Weare [YM exacan bf Mcamecaen jj Pj remem ff {frome bf essnnnnn i remem G] maemoene ff Uf aenmee bf flame Hf Al eer 


THe 
WAKE COUNTY 


“Association for the Betterment 


OF 


Public Schools and Communities 


RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 


1922 


RALEIGH 
BYNUM PRINTING COMPANY 
1922 


1y 
wits? 
Wo 


“He has achieved success who has lived w 
laughed often, loved much; who has gained 
respect of intelligent men, and the love of litt 
children; who has left the world better than he 
found it; whose life has been an inspiration | 
whose memory is a benediction.” 


WAKE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION 


Dr. W. A. Withers, Chairman 
Prof. N. Y. Gulley 
Mr. M. B. Chamblee 


Superintendent of Public Instruction 


@ Mr. J. C. Lockhart 


WAKE COUNTY ASSOCIATION FOR THE 
BETTERMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
AND COMMUNITIES 


President 


Mrs. C. P. Blalock 


Vice-President 
Mrs. O. L. Ray 


Secretary-Treasurer 


Miss Isabelle Haynes 


Township Representatives and Executive Committee 


Mrs. Sion D. Williams Mrs. R. H. Ferguson 


Mrs. C. L. Sorrell Mrs. W.N. O’Neal 

Mrs. W. L. Page Mrs. C. B. Lawrence 
Mrs. W. A. Segraves Miss Lina Middleton 
Mrs. A. L. Peacock Mrs. H. D. Rand 

Mrs. R. B. Nichols Mrs. EB. L. Bartholomew 


Mrs. Helen P. Whitley Mrs. Cary B. Jones 
Mrs. E. V. Richardson Mrs. Joseph Seawell 
Mrs. J. K. Sessoms Mrs. Sexton Lawrence 


County Health Officer 
Dr. A. C. Bulla 


a 
County Superintendent of Public Welfare 
Mr. C. H. Anderson 

ON 
% 
MoO 
tito 
ay oe 


; To 
Mrs. E. E. Moreitt 
Wo ORGANIZED THE WAKE COUNTY BETTER! E) 
ASSOCIATION ay 
‘THs BULLETIN IS DEDICATED is is , 
WitH APPRECIATION aoe 
For Her UNSELFISH DEVOTION 
To THE WORK 


a44) 'y at ‘ t 
oY ie et Ay 


4 


— 


Mrs. E. E. MorritTr 


“Plessing she is: God made her so, 
And derds of weekday holiness 
Hall from her notseless as the som: 

Nor hath she ever chanced to kuom 
Chat aught were easier than to bless.” 


HISTORY 


The idea of the Betterment Association was first 
conceived by Dr. Charles D. McIver, President of 
the State Normal College at Greensboro, who on 
iis trips over the State saw and felt so keenly the 
need for improvement of the schoolhouses and their 
surroundings. He placed the matter before some 
of the students of the State Normal and on March 
#@%, 1902, the Woman’s Association for the Better- 
ment of Public Schoolhouses in North Carolina was 
organized with a membership of about 200. The 
first annual meeting of the State Association was 
held, in accordance with provisions of the consti- 
tution, during the annual session of the North 
Carolina Teachers’ Assembly, at Morehead City, in 
June, 1902. At this time plans were made for 
organizing county associations during the summer. 
The Southern Education Board paid the expenses 
of the ten volunteers for this work. 

The Wake County Woman’s Association for the 
Betterment of Public Schoolhouses was organized 
on August 8, 1902, during the session of the Wake 
County Teachers’ Institute being held in Raleigh 
at that time. The matter was presented to the 
teachers by Mrs. H. E. Moffitt, of Raleigh. Since 
‘its organization, the name has been changed to 
The Wake County Association for the Betterment 
of Public Schools and, later, to The Wake County 
Association for the Betterment of Public Schools 
and Communities. 

The first president of the Wake County Better- 
ment Association was Miss Edith Royster, now 
Mrs. Zebulon Judd, who served in this office until 
January 3, 1916, when she moved to Alabama. 
Mrs. A. C. Hughes, of Apex, was elected as Mrs. 

Judd’s successor. At the Wake County Educa- 
tional Conference held September 2, 1916, Miss 
Daphne Carraway was elected to succeed Mrs. 
Hughes who was not a candidate for re-election. 
Miss Carraway resigned in 1918 to take up work 
in another county and at the Educational Confer- 
ence held September 14, 1918, Mrs. C. P. Blalock 
was elected president, holding this office until her 
resignation on September 11, 1920, when she was 
succeeded by Mrs. Kenneth Gant. Mrs. Gant 
served as president until November 4, 1921, when 


t 


id 


Oo 


upon her resignation Mrs. Blalock was again 
elected president and is still in office. 

The first associate member of the Wake County 
Betterment Association was Rev. W. G. Clements, 
County Superintendent of Schools at the time the 
Betterment Association was organized and who 
presided over the meeting at which the Wake Asso- 
ciation was formed. 4 

There were six local associations organized dur- 
ing the first year of the County organization—at 
Wake Forest, Eagle Rock, Flint (the present Lees- 
ville School), Mount Moriah, Garner, and Reddisp 
(now Pinehurst) Schools. ; 

In 1905 an act was passed by the Legislature 
authorizing the Wake County Board of Education 
to appropriate not more than $100.00 annually for 
the work of the Betterment Association. This ap- 
propriation has been made each year since that 
date, with the exception of the first year when only 
$50.00 was asked for by the Association. 

Some of the ways in which this annual appro- 
priation has been used, in addition to incidental 
expenses, has been to aid in payment of domestic 
science equipment for several schools, part salary 
of one of the Canning Club Agents one year, prizes 
offered in Better Babies contests, annual payment 
to the Sallie Southall Cotton Loan Fund, a contri- 
bution to a scholarship for social service worker 
at the University of North Carolina, and donation 
to Welfare Work. 

The first school farm in Wake County was started 
by the Woman’s Betterment Association at Holly 
Springs in 1906 and a large amount of the work 
was done by the women. A number of these farms 
are in operation now. 

In 1908 the County Association offered a loving 
cup to the school making most improvement in 
attendance, the school winning it three successive 
years to become permanent owner. Holly Springs 
won the cup in 1908. Olive Chapel became the 
owner in 1911, having been the winner the three 
preceding years. 

In 1912 the Wake County Betterment Assoc@- 
tion became an affiliated organization in the State 
Federation of Women’s Clubs and has been repre- 
sented by delegates and reports at the annual meet- 
ings of the Federation. 

The money reported raised and the money value 
of work and labor reported since the organization 


6 


of the Betterment Association, with the exception 
of the years 1902-1905 for which there are no 
records, is as follows: 


BL GR k ee ee Se A PLO 
ees i 1,145.86 
ELSA Sa pe ee Oe 4,403.52 
Re 4,812.26 
I 6,021.18 

Contributed for building 1906-1907 not 
MmmmedavpOVe 2... 2 ot 5,000.00 
I 6,817.00 
EAA Se 8,408.24 
DI a Lk 7,557.00 
PT 9,596.16 
a SSS a ao Pe OO 8,294.86 
rien aos NE Gs) ea $63,263.18 


“Included in this amount is the sum-of $5,686.27 
raised 1910-1915 by the negroes among themselves 
to improve their schools. Fifteen hundred dollars 
subscribed to the Berry O’Kelly Training School 
is not included in this amount.”’ 


Beginning with the session 1915-1916 the reports 
are as follows: 


White 

Cash Value of 

Receipts Gifts and Labor Total 
Pemeeerou.. > 7,158.42 § 1,013.99 § 8,172.41 
1916-1917___ 4,126.58 620.95 4,747.53 
Seeeeeeo 11,956.83 707.65 12,664.48 
Sver-aulo 6,633.79 1,369.64 8,003.43 
bo29-1920___ 10,718.02 1,715.40 12,433.42 
fye0-1921_.. 10,551.89 450.20 11,002.09 
1921-1922___ 10,443.12 1,391.45 11,834.57 


Total___$61,588.65 §$ 7,269.28 $68,857.93 


Colored 
{915-1916___$ trae.ao; « § 199.90 *$ 1,342.15 
ORG=1917 885.99 132.45 1,018.44 
1917-1918___ 1,163.90 72.30 1,236.20 
1918-1919___ 1,048.51 59.55 1,108.06 
P9T9=1920_._ 2,890.24 154.95 3,045.19 
Meee eveto2Z1_._' 3,158.55 211.00 3,369.55 
Beet-t922.__ 2,933.83 350.15 inp apes hs Ba: 


Total___ $13,223.27 $ 1,180.30 $14,403.57 


*Quoted from Betterment Bulletin published 1916. 
4 


It is impossible to tell even a small part of the 
work done by the Betterment Association during 
its twenty years of life, but a vast amount of im- 
provement in the schools of Wake County during 
these years—in houses, grounds, equipment, sani- 
tary conditions, length of term, increased salaries 
of teachers, enrollment and attendance of pupils, 
and school loyalty——has been due to the Betterment 
spirit in the hearts of the people of the County. 4 

Credit for the progress and success of the Better- 
ment work is due to the men, women, teachers, and 
children in the various schools and communities 
of the County. © 

Appreciation for inspiration and the keeping 
alive of the spirit of the Betterment in Wake — 
County is gratefully expressed to Mrs. E. EK. Moffitt 
who organized the Association and served faithfully 
as an officer for many years; to Mrs. Edith Royster 
Judd whose whole heart was in the work and who 
served as a field worker in the State, and as County 
President for thirteen years; to the presidents of 
the County Association who have served since 
1916; to Miss Daisy Bailey Waitt and Miss Ada V. 
Womble, charter members of the Betterment Asso- 
ciation, who gave generously of their time to the — 
organization; to the newspapers of the County for 
their generous aid in publishing the activities of the 
Betterment; to the members of the County Board 
of Education; and to the County Superintendents 
since its birth—Rev. W. G. Clements, Mr. Zebulon 
Judd, Mr. D. F. Giles, Dr. Edgar W. Knight, and 
Mr. J. C. Lockhart—whose interest and hearty sup- 
port have always been given to the Betterment 
Association. 


REPORT OF THE WAKE COUNTY BETTER- 
MENT ASSOCIATION 


1921-1922 


The report of the Wake County Association for 
the Betterment of Public Schools and Communities 
¢ for the year 1921-1922 is as follows: 

The department of Civics reports three com- 
munity fairs, held in the Knightdale, Fairview, and 
Fuquay Springs school districts. Contributions of 
towels, pillow cases, sheets, quilts, combs, brushes 
and soap to the detention home recently established 
in Wake County were made by Neuse, Bay Leaf, 
Morrisville and Goodwin schools. Others will con- 
tribute later. The Executive Committee contrib- 
uted $25.00 to the detention home from the General 
Betterment Fund. Flowers and shrubs have been 
planted on many of the school grounds. Cary and 
Wendell have reported planting of flowers in vacant 
lots and in front of business houses. Fuquay 
Springs reported a cement walk laid in front of 
the school building, and Holly Springs has im- 
proved the sidewalk leading to the school. 

Under the department of Education is reported 
the organization of two bands; money raised for 
establishing and enlarging school libraries, making 
payments on pianos, and buying maps, primary 
supplies, desks, playground equipment, and song 
books; prizes offered for perfect attendance and 
for scholarship; the purchase and gift of pictures 
to the schools; the raising of funds to increase 
teachers’ salaries, employ extra teachers, and 
lengthen school terms; the serving of dinners for 
visitors at the group center commencements. The 
Betterment Associations at Fuquay Springs and 
Garner each secured an all-time janitor to relieve 
teachers and pupils of the responsibility of run- 
ning the fires and cleaning the building. ‘‘The 
Lost Colony’’ was shown in one of the schools. In 

one of the farm-life schools, moving pictures and 
ct slides were used in schoolroom and community 
work. The term of the Green Level School was in- 
creased one month. This was made possible by the 
fact that the teachers agreed to work for a smaller 
salary during that month. At Wilder’s Grove the 
men of the community gave one day’s work to build 

a shelter for the school truck and private convey- 


9 


ances bringing pupils to school. The women gave 
a day to clean buildings and yards prior to the 
opening of school. 

The report of the department of Health shows 
clean-up days, health talks by County Physician, 
mosquito control and prevention work, physical 
examination of children by County Physician and 
nurses, care of the sick, and co-operation in milk 
campaign. In this connection, one district reported 
an average of three cows to each family. In one 
of the farm-life districts, the agriculture teachers 
examined all the cows in the district for tuber- 
culosis. The County Physician has conducted an 
examination in one district to find germ-breeding 
places. 

The Social Service department reports com- 
munity Christmas trees, contributions of money 
and clothes to the Near East and Russian Reliefs, 
get-together dinners for teachers and patrons. The 
Bay Leaf School gave a community picnic that the 
teachers might meet the patrons. Wendell held a 
community picnic at opening of school in honor of 
the teachers. About one thousand people were 
present. In the afternoon about 250 parents met 
with the teachers to discuss problems of organiz- 
ing school. Some of the other work of this de- 
partment has been visiting and entertaining new- 


comers in communities, community sings, and. 


Easter Monday picnics. At Goodwin School an 
annual community fish fry is held on Easter 
Monday. 

The report of the Home Economics department 
shows the organization of clubs by the Home 
Demonstration Agent and lectures by her. In one 
of the farm-life schools the Home Economics 
teacher gave an eight weeks’ course for the house- 
wives of the community, including cooking lessons 
and talks on health, interior decorating and other 
subjects, moving pictures and slides being used. 
The agriculture teachers gave classes in stock, 
poultry, diseases of these, and ways of treating 
the diseases. A co-operative Dos club has been 
organized in this district. 

The financial reports of the white schools for the 
year show $1,982.00 spent for lengthening school 
term, $1,122.00 of this amount having been con- 
tributed to the Falls School by the Neuse Manu- 
facturing Company. $184.00 was spent to increase 
salaries, $718.89 for payments on pianos. Play- 


10 


r@ 


ys 


ground and athletic equipment was bought for the 
different schools at a cost of $798.09. A contri- 
bution of $5.00 was made to the old soldiers and 
contributions of $61.50 were made to the Near 
East Relief Fund. Morrisville was the only school 
reporting a Liberty Bond on hand this year, this 
school owning a $50.00 bond. The report for the 
year 1917-1918 showed $2,687.21 spent for Liberty 
Bonds and $156.66 for War Savings Stamps. 

The Betterment reports for the white schools 
and the School Improvement League reports for 
the colored schools for the year show the following 
receipts: 

White 


Value of gifts to schools___$ 479.58 
Value of labor given to 


LGU. ee) Sa 911.87 
meen receipts —._..____— 10,433.12 
OE a $11,824.57 
Colored 


Value of gifts to schools___$ 11.00 
Value of labor given to 


OO OUTS |) 339.15 

meen receipts ~____.__-L 2,933.83 
ET ee $ 3,283.98 
motertor) County. ool eb $15,108.55 


> 


11 


BETTERMENT PROGRAM 
June, 1922 - - April, 1923 
June —The Value of a Library to a Rural 
Community—Miss Annie Petty. 


July —Winter Gardens—Mr. J. C. Anderson, 
Farm Demonstration Agent. 


August —Organization of a Betterment Associa- 
tion in Every School District—Dr. 
Chas. E. Brewer. 


September—A Study of the Child of Pre-School 
Age—Miss Rose Ehrenfeld. 


October —School Houses as School Homes—Mrs. 
O. L. Ray and Mrs. H. K. McIntyre. 


November —Co-operation Between Patrons and 
Teachers—Mr. E. B. Crow. 


December —-Music and Community Gatherings— 


Miss Margaret Highsmith and Mr. John 
Park. 


January oMoealthe— Dra es Bulla, County 
Health Officer. 


February —Playgrounds and Amusements for the 
‘Teen’? Age—Miss Gertrude Royster. 


March —Group Center and County Commence- 
ments—Miss Anne Holdford. 


April —Parliamentary Law and Citizenship— 
Mrs. Palmer Jerman. 


2 


CONSTITUTION OF THE WAKE COUNTY ASSO- 
CIATION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COM- 
MUNITIES 


Article I 


Section 1. The name of this organization shall 
be The Wake County Association for the Better- 
ment of Public Schools and Communities. 


Article II 


Section 1. The purposes of this Association 
shall be: 

1. To stimulate interest in the conditions, prob- 
lems, and work of public education, public health, 
public welfare, home economics, literature, and 
Red Cross. 

2. To interest and aid the people of the County 
in the improvement of their communities and all 
conditions affecting these communities. 

3. To establish a local association in every 
school district in the County. 


Article Til 


Section 1. The active membership of the 
County Association shall consist of the members 
of the local associations, members of the Wake 
County Departments of Education, Health, and 
Public Welfare; and other white persons elected 
by the Executive Committee. 

Sec. 2. The annual dues of active members 
of this Association shall be 15 cents per annum, 
payable October the 1st. 

Sec. 3. Any white person may become an 
honorary member upon payment of $1.00 annually. 


Article IV 


Section 1. The officers of this Association shall 
be a president, a vice-president, a member of the 


Executive Committee from each township, a secre- 


tary and treasurer. All officers shall be elected at 
the County meeting in May for a term of two 
years. 

18 


Sec. 2. The officers of the Association shall 
form the County Council or Executive Committee 
which shall meet quarterly or at other times at the 
call of the president. The County Superintendent 
of Public Instruction, the County Superintendent 
of Public Welfare, the Home Demonstration Agent, 
the County Health Officer, a representative from 
the State Library Commission, and a representa- 
tive from the Wake County Chapter of the Red # 
Cross shall be active members of the Council. The ~ 
Council shall have power to conduct the affairs of 
the Association between meetings of the whole. 
Seven members of the Council shall constitute a — 
quorum. 

Sec. 3. Vacancies in the office of president, 
vice-president, township members of the Executive 
Committee, secretary or treasurer may be filled 
by the remaining members of the Council voting 
thereon by ballot. 


Article V 


Section 1. The regular term of all officers shall 
commence at the adjournment of the meeting at 
which they are elected. 

See. 2. The duties of officers shall be such as 
are implied by their respective titles. 

Sec. 3. The president shall appoint all stand- 
ing committees and be ex-officio a member of the 
same without the right to vote. 

Sec. 4. The secretary shall keep an accurate 
classified list of the membership of the local asso- 
ciations with the address of each member and in 
general conduct the correspondence of the Asso- 
ciation. 

Sec. 5. The treasurer shall receive all money 
due the Association and pay all bills after they 
have been passed upon by the president; keep an 
itemized account of all receipts and disbursements 
and present a written report at each meeting of ¢ 
the Council and to the Association at the semi- 
annual meetings. The book in which the record 
of receipts and disbursements have been kept for 
her term of office shall be handed to her successor“ 
upon retiring from office. 

Sec. 6. Each township member of the Execu- 
tive Committee shall keep in close touch with all 
local associations in her township and make every 
effort to establish one in those communities which 


14 


‘@ 


@: 


have not yet organized. She shall make a report 
of work done in her township at each regular 
Council meeting. 


Article VI 
Section 1. This Association shall hold semi- 


annual meetings: one in May in Raleigh, and the 
other in September at the place designated by the 


’ president. 


Sec. 2. Only members of the Executive Com- 
mittee and regular delegates shall have the right 
to vote at the semiannual meeting. Hach local 
association shall be entitled to elect one delegate 
for each ten active members or fraction thereof. 


Article VII 


Section 1. The County Association shall send 
through its secretary or president a full report of 
the year’s work to the County Board of Education, 
on or before the first day of July in each year. 


Article VIII 


Section 1. This constitution may be amended 
at any semiannual meeting by a vote of two-thirds 
of the delegates present; Provided, the proposed 
amendment shall have been submitted in writing 
to the Executive Committee one month before the 
semiannual meeting. 

Sec. 2. The constitution shall be read at each 
annual meeting. 


15 


PUBLIC LAWS, 1905 
[CHAPTER 149.] ) 


An Act to Authorize the County Board of Edu- 
cation of Wake County to Make an Appropriation 
Out of the County School Fund to Aid the Wake 
County Woman’s Association for the Better- 
ment of Public Schools. 


The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact: 

Section 1. That the County Board of Educa- 
tion of Wake may annually appropriate out of the 
county ;school fund a sum not to exceed one hun- 
dred dollars for the payment of the necessary ex- 
penses incident to the work of the Wake County 
Woman’s Association for the Betterment of Public 
Schools. 

Sec. 2. That all accounts for such expense 
shall, before payment, be approved by the County 
Board of Education. 

Sec. 8. That this act shall be in force from and 
after its ratification. 

In the General Assembly read three times, and 
ratified this 11th day of February, A. D. 1905. 


=~ 


16 


